Posted By Glyn Martin Under Workplace health, safety & welfare Reg 12 all staircases should have handrails. Can anybody tell me at what point do steps become a staircase requiring a handrail? Is there a definition of a staircase? The best I can find is from BS 5395 Part 1: Code of practice for the design of straight stairs [within buildings] Art 12.3.5.4 which recommends 'stairs having an aggregate rise of more than 600mm should have a continuous handrail fixed securely....' The steps I am querying are on a large outdoor geographical workplace site with access routes up and down banks, predominantly grassy banks and on uneven ground. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Glyn Martin H&S Advisor

Posted By Graham Bullough Where there is sufficient horizontal distance available in relation to the vertical height of a slope or step feature I usually advise pressing for a ramp instead of steps, whether indoors or outdoors. To quote or misquote a cynical comment I once read in a safety book, "steps are architectural features which tend to cause people to trip or stumble". They also impede people's progress and the movement of goods. For those considering ramps liable to be used by people in wheelchairs, especially those who are self-propelled, aim for a gradient of 1 in 15. I understand that 1 in 12 is the maximum gradient advised for such ramps. If lengthy ramps are required for negotiating significant height, do consider features such as intermediate platforms and changes of direction to avoid continuous prolonged slopes. Relevant British Standard/s and Building Regulations contain plenty of advice about such matters. If space and height, etc. allow the provision of ramps with very shallow gradients and no drops at the sides, it may be feasible to avoid the need for having handrails. "Rampophile"